Gas-engine



. tional plan Yof a ga improvements, section being made at the hori- HENRY A;- LAUSONANDfJoH-N J. NORMAN,

oF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ANDI ABRAM n. Norm, oFQJANEsvILLn. WiscoNslN.' y

' 'GAS-ENGINE.

snncIFIoATIoN forming "part @Letters Patenten. 550,451, dated November 26, 189:5;

Appu'omanH1arune4,1s94g fsea1m. 13,491.l (Hongaars, i j v To all whom; itA mwyconcerrn:

ne itknown that we, HENRY A. LASON and JOHN J. NORMAN, residing at Chicago, county te of Illinois, and ABRAM D.

of t Cook, and S i county of. Rock,

NOTT, residing atJanesville,

and State of Wisconsin, citiens of the United States, have invented certainznew and useful' Improvements in vGas #Enginesy which arefully set lforth in 'the following specification,

reference being-,had to' the. accompanying drawings, formingapant thereof.

In the, drawings, vFigure lv is a vpartly-sec- -engine "embodying, our

zontal plane of the-axis o fjthe main *crank shaft and through the power-communicating pulley and tivo bevel-gears through which Ino-` tion "is communicated from themainfshaft l te ,thevalve-operating shaft. and= ,-"m," e`rni'r'igy mechanism. Eig; 2isa vertical sectionj ,at the line 2 Z- on Eig. I, slit)vririgthegoverning mechanism.; Eig. uis a detaLSeotiQnat-the line 33 onFig. l -through-the'j'axi's ofthe care 'buretor and gas "inlet'valvej.and chambe`r.' Fig. 4 is .a detailfplanofthe 'mechanismv through which" the governor operates `to in4 terruptfthe gas 'supply when. the speed ein ceedsVl the desired limit. Fig. is adetaiilfv'eiaan section at the fine 555 on Fig. 1 show: ing parti of the, same mechanism lwhich is .shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a rear on back side` elevation of abevel gear- Wheel through 'which power is communicated 'to the l'g. Bis a detail end A'elevation sho win' g the,v connection hy which 'the lighterfvalvej and the exhaustfvalvearc operated.

The title gas-engine is. used l in *ourv andclaims to 'denote any engine specilication 'in which the explosion of "gasv affords themo# 'tive powerwithout regard to' whether the' gas v is or is not .generated'in themachine.` v

` The A,gas-*engine to which` vour improvements".

" relate is of the class oA type 'in which the pis Aeach chai-ge on exp'lo'sionfof 1 gas-A-th'at is, in

complete'cycle ofthe piston,

v`Theyengine rests -uponytheibedgAhupon lvvhich are formed the. bearingsAfL A', fol the main tufank,-shaftv 1)'to which the y-vheel Bz Eis secured at oneg'end, While at .the other end r Ag cai-'wheelvB',;and. -cor'iveniently, also,"a band-Wheel B?, for lcoml municatingpowe'if, to mechanism to beirlriven bytheengie.. I 'I governor-op, erating shaft. v Fig. is adetail section at fwhich are claimed in, .this `application location of the several 'understanding of thestlucturej return vmovement expels the gasesfof combustion, the nextoutward movement. drawing' in a charge vof mixed gas and air, Wl1ich"is cxi1- pressedby the return' movement fand exi-155 4 ploded to produce 'the'next'outward move.'

ment, .four movements thus constituting'tlc ur improvem nts relate to .themechanf ism'forgoverning the engine by controlling the. gaseinlet, and to the carburetojrpr #vapor izing or mixing chamberl 'in which? oil 'may be i convertedr into' gas and the: gasv ismixedwith air o1' ttedfor explosion .inthe vcylindeto l y generate the motiveforce, and it involyes,

also, 'certain details as 'totheairangement fof question with-a x-*iewitoiconipact#k there is ecured a -bevel piston-andpitman connection .forthe same is employed and. not shown;i in detail. The inthe drawiz'igsas 'not embodyin g any inventions i The kparts exteriorly. may, n however-,be indicated to; facilitate 1a general' chamber.,

v lTo the'forward side of .tliejbase lAareservcured the several brackets,uponwhich'are r95 -'l`hegasin- Y j vlet-valve chamberD is thussecured,`as ind-icated, by the'bol ts d d. The governor-bracket' r mounted' various parts o f `the' valve operat 'ing and governing' n'echanrsm.

'Gis thus 'secured' by bolts, one vofv which is seen at g, and the nletf-vaive-operating plun.- ioo'l ger has itsbearings in-the-bracket'- IIfsecgu-ed f by bolts, (not seen,1 but which areH4 passed The-usual constructonof the u 8o terior 'construcfbn of the'cylinder and asso-. r ciated passages, inwhich the explosionis pro v ducedfand ythrough which `the exhaust-gases are carried off, is'al'sowithout illustration in s f through the nous hh, rig. 5,) The brackets D and H also have at their forward sides the journal-boxes D' and H', which afford bearings for the shaft J. r

The shaft J is driven by the large bevelgear J',whi.ch is fixed upon its end beyond the bearing LH and which meshes with and-isdriven by the bevel-gearB on the main crankshaft b.

The shaft J and'the wheel J upon it operate all the valves which control the c.

valvewhose stem. k is journaled inthe arm F' of the `bracket having the lighter-valve chamber, is actuated by the eccentric-pin j at the end of the shaft J, said pin operating against the antifrictionfroll k', mounted at the outer end of the plunger or valve-stem k. The exhaust-valve is operated by the cam J 3, which `is fixed on the shaft J beyond the bearing D', the lever E' having the antifriction'ro1l e,` serving to communicate motion to the valve (not shown) in the valve-chamber E.

AThe operationV of 'the gas-inlet valveis more intimately related to this invention and will be described vin detail. In Fig'. 3there is shown said gas-inlet valve L, seating. at the opening d', which leads into the valve-charnber-fro'm which the opening D leads into the cylinder. t

The valve-ehambe is formed in the same casting with the ca buretor or `vaporizing chamber M, and with a gaspassage M' inter-4 mediate betweenthe valve-chamber D and the carburetor or vaporizing or mixing chamber M. The stem L' 'of the valve extends out through the valve-seat d' and through along sleeve or slide hearing M1", provided for said stem in the casting and protruding into the e M', andalso protruding from the casting outwardly, as the boss M11. The spring N, coiled about theprotruding sleeve or boss M,

and alsolabout-.fthe stem L', which protrudes` from ltheboss, is stopped one end against the chamber and the other end against an adjustingfnut N' on the stem L'. This spring is designed to be normally under compression and adaptedto react to force the stem outward to seat the valve. The valve-stem L' is virtually joined at L beyond the nut N' to the remaining section of the stem L.,althou gh it only abuts against the end of the latter section Ll; but by rea-son of the structure the two parts are in constant contact and operate preciselyas` if hin ged together at the point of i contact. The section L1pbtains a bearing in the lugs G2 on the bracket G, and is suspended the other end in the end ofthe vertical arm P of the governor bell-crank lever hereinafter described. The bearing in the lug GS is tapered, widening toward the suspended `end, so that. the rod or stem L can i t swing horizontally in said bearings about its point of contact with .or hinging to the outer end of the stem L'. the stem L is'wedgeshaped, with its `edge vertical.

the plunger L", which is in line with, the stem L' and with the continuation Llll ofthatstem when the latter is in Vnormal position-that is, except when it' is deile'cted. by the governor at high speed,as hereinafter explained. The end of Y. the plunger L toward the wedge'- shaped end ofi the stem L is provided with a, terminal l", vwhich Vhas 4a vertical notch the 'stem .L11 when said stem is' in line with vthe plunger and the stem L'.' however, ends inacute -angles atv the lateral margins o'f the wedge-shaped notch, so that if the point-of the wedge the notch it will slide past the end ofY the `terminal and Afail tolmake any engagement with it. This terminal l" has a steml by which itis screwed vided with a jam-nut l, by which its adjustment may befixed. The plunger .Lu has a longitudinal aperture l", in which a sprin L" apertureand against a lug h', which projects down into it from the cover H? of the bracket H, `tends to hold `the plunger to the rightthatis, away from the stem L. The right-` hand end of the pluneroutside Vof its bearo ing in the bracket is provided with an antifriction-roll L, upon which the cam J hereinafter described, and which is mounted plunger. On the shaft J, in addition' to `the bevel-gear d', there is abevel-gear J which meshes with and drives the bevel-gear 0 on shaft o, which is journaled inthe bracket G and stopped against downward movement by the cross-head o' at its upper end and against upward movement by the hjib of the gear o.

To the cross-head are pivted at its oppothe inwardly-projecting lever-fingersO1o 01, which overhang the l l rod 0, which reciprocates through the sleeve vo and at its upper end vis 'connected to the lever-arm P of the bell crank lever P P', which is fulcrumed at p on thearm Gf of the bracket G` and at its lower end engages vand supports theV rod or section Lf of the valve-stem, and intermediate the fulcrum and said lower endis pressed by the' spring Q reacting against the ann G', through which an adjusting-screw Q' is set and secured by a jam-nut Q to regulate the tension `of -the spring. i v The conn the, bell-crank fected by meansof the two-part collar 0s, which is peripherally grooved to receive the fork p' of the lever-arm and is divided midway in the groove, both parts being screwed onto the thrust-rod ,so that they maybe jammed tolation of the *horizontal arm of into the end of ,theplunger L, and is pro-y Yis lodged, andreacting against one end the site ends the governor-arms 0' O', which have .flange O- on a thrust-'vl leverto the thrust-rod O* is ef- Theoscillating end of 70' In the bracket Hthere is j ournaled adapted to receive the wedge-shaped end 'of This terminal,

IOO

on thewheel J', operatesto reciprocate the the lower end of the vertical sleeve or hollow IIO 5,9 t will engage the rod and operate the valve;

` produce no 'edectg but. the vengine will 'soon g--tl1e'can1 operates to open.l these valves'during if it `should chance'. tostop 'at this point the that of the plunger, so that-the notched ter-4 notch; but if theA will permit i the. levier `vPy P',

' normal point Willoceur onlyr when the resistget-her and all danger of the ycollar working up or down' on the rod prevented, while at thesame time itis adjustable to compensate for wear in the connections of the lever. its' separability also facilitates the assemblingv of the parts. The action of this governor is the familiar one-'to wit, that `the centrifugal force of the weighted lever-arms 0,'by spreading them, tends to cause the inwardly #pro-- jecti-ng fingers '10ml tov pulldown the shaft O? and, rock the lever PP', 'lhe'cam J1 on .the gear-wheel is so located as to collide with' the roller Lu and push 4outward the plunger Ll2 ais-proper time to openthe; gasinlet valvek once in each two revolutions of the mai-n crank-shaft. At` starting', the Wedgeshapedv end of the rod L1x is lodged in the notch in 'the plunger L, so that when the cam. reaches the roller it will operate, the valve-stem through the medium vof the plunger L12.' ,Whenthe cam'runs o the roller, thespring L13 retracts Vthe plungerv and' thel spring N closes the valve', the movement of' the lvalve'and stem being a little less'than minall12 of the latteris Withdrawn from the Wedge end of the stem', tho ugh the parts re` main inline ready to become againengaged. at lthe next return of the ca m unless the. governor in the meanwhile: deiiects` the stem L1? more than the width of the notch 112; j The' rotary speed ofi the' governor. may -riseiuntil the wedge-shaped end lof the stem L1 1'isde -k ilected any amount-less than the width'of the speed rises 4sufficiently to cause the lever P P tocar'ry the stemor rod L1? vso fargout offline withlthe plu'nger-termi.v vnal that the-Wedge-point missesthe notch-"of the plunger-terminal :the further reciproca-` tion of the plunger by thefurther rotationof the main crank-shaft and of vthe gear-Wheel J Will be u'navailing to" open 'the' valvey be-, cause the 'plunger willv reciprocate'V pastl 'the point of the rod L?? withouteollidingwithit." As the speed diminishes' from the lackof power 'thus cut oif, the governorballs falling pressed by tlm, spring Q, to swing the rod L11 back into-line withv the plunger, and' thereupon thene'xt time the plunger is pushedforvvard hyithe cam it Any diminution 'of' the speed below thc ance of the Workbei'ng done exceeds the power afforded by theenginegand the'falling of the governor-balls, due to such los's of motion ,will

stop from the lexcessive proportion of' gas.. Thev engine, however, vwill notordinarilys'top with the gas or oil inlet valves open,l because the 'aireompressing stroke of the piston,"an'd reaction ofthe-compressed air would throng(v it,t back" and carry the cam olf the roller L- which, as already stated, c ommunicatcswith inde'r. 'I'n this carburetor-or niiXingc-hamber M We SS S, 'set `preferablyat an angle of .about forty-live degrees,

each vane overhangs the next a Short distaneet The' hub S of thewheel is alsleeve which obtains bearing upo'n the vhollow' boss 'o'r'fixe'd "bottom of the cylindrical sh stitutes the 'Waller lining ell M2, which con- ,of vthe chamber;

N120'. The

ber upward above the top. of vv the wheelfand of the `lining M2.'

- atthe'nppr naar said bore+thatiste sey'-, at the hottomofjthe chamberfR2.

'disk R5 whose u erfsu'rface isslo lin being' 7 p 7 a Vtrudejd below" the cross-'bar.'l\12 0`, overhanging v thestem L' of the `valve L.

sage M'v there is fulcrume'i on the Wall {nei-cof the stem R31. The notch. "hasonefend ab'- 'Zontalf arm R4, into which an oilf-pipe 'Ijg the valve-chamber D'and thence with the prov-idel a Wheel having oblique Yanes Vval'iorizing chamber or mixing-chamber M, i.

and' We have usually `pro-V vided the vvheel withfour such varies, so that sleeve'M, Which-projects upward from the dialnetrical erossbarzlvo, formed across the v and which s inserted and secured 'within the', outer casting of thefcarburetoror mixer M." Mis a perforated or wovenwire bottonivvhi'eh is provided for the carburetor or mixin'gcham- .ber and which is .supported on -the cross-bar.-

`venes S S' S of the' Wheel extend .close'to the inner surfacejof the liningnlll M4, is the' cover 'of the carburetor-.or mixeigfA y which constitutes an extensionv ofthe cham:v 95.

llt-has an vair-inlet 'Mii v which preferablyleads outlaterally and opens,l

l downwardly, asf sho'Wn.'j At the center of the top 'f the cover the'plugR is'inserte'd, which` Vhas a verticaljgboreRQ-- leading into a valve-'5 chamber' Rthe bottoni ofwhichconstitutes av seat 'forthevalveRWhose utedstemlRso. f is guid'edin-the boreRQfwhil'e thevalve rseats i in the formi-1t a segment of a sphere or cone vand of suiiicient diameter to overhang the hub'of tithe carbureiner-wheel-l f 'lhestem'is continued dovvn belowv this disk,` but the -loWe'r portion need not be iiuted, but is shown cylindrical and is guided Withinv the tubular boss M21, pro- I Withinthe pasthe Atriplev-er "1"; one end of'ivhioh -is adapted ,1; to be engaged in'thenotch Z in theupp'er side ofthevaleistem L, While fthe other end is 'adapt'ed to operate against 'thejlower vend'of rupt and adapted to engage abruptly the'tripto cause valve .'L ifs-pushed ofits'seatand to withraw v-frrm it abruptl'ya'nd allow it to fallend perl'n'it the valve-stem R3l to fall 'when the valvel, lj,-

- L cornes to vits seat.` f 'The plug R has `a honl'connected laterally5and through which af duct'4 fr leads into 'the' chamber R2, and injwlnch` .there is provided the needle or'taper v a 1$ fe`i,,f4 `ofA 'familiailconstructiont adapted vto seat kin i 1 v v550,451

"r and controls the fluid supply, which by rea-son of the long taper et the valve and its seatrmay be thus regulated with extreme'accui-acy. The stem of this valve emerges through a stuffing-box at the end of thel horizontal arm R4, and is provided with'- a handle V2 outside the same, It may now be 'understood ythat the air which is drawn in to the cylinder by the outward movement of the istontherein is drawn through the air-inlet 0, leading-to the ca1buretor-chamber, and in order to reach the cylinder Ahad to pass the varied Wheel in the carburetor, and that vbeing 'thus (l1-wn through that Wheel .against its oblique vanos it, induces a rapid rotation of .the wheel; also, that when the .gas-inlet valve .is open the cut-,oit valve R isialso open, and that. fluid is admitted throughl the flutes or grooves of the stem Rio int-o the carburetor and in case of oil iiows out over the margin of the disk R."i and falls onto the sloping surface. of the vanes which are thus revolving, and thereby reaches a large quantity ofair, so that the oil which,

in addition'to its tendency to flow by gravity4 down the sloping surface .of the vanes, willl also by centrifugal force be carried Vtoward the outer margins thereof and thus spread over the whole surface will be rapidly vaporized, and taken up by the aires it' passes, so Vthat the current which is drawn past the gas'- inlet valve into the'cylinder is highly charged with iniialnmable vapor and in conditionvf'or explosion upon ignition. 'lhe'purpose oiithe perforated or woven-wire bottom ofl thmecarf `buretor is tof arrest, as far as possible,thev particles of dust which will of necessity elliter with the air and which wouldtend to clog the valves and wear the cylinder. 'lheeut-off valve R3 being opened toadiit fluid to"`the carburetor only when the gas-inlet'valve'is open to admit gas to the eylinderand remaining open only for a certain proportion of the duration of the stroke of the gas-inlet valve, determined b'y the relation of the notch Z' to the level' T andend of the stem R31, an ap proximately-uniforin quantity of fluid-will be admitted to the carburetor at each stroke, this quantity being limited by the regulator-valve V, which will be set so that in the intervals of the openings of the cut-oit valve'only the predetermined quantity of fluid can flow into the chamber R2. v There will be some variation in the Quan tity of oil which will be admitted when the governor has interrupted the action of the valves for one or more cycles of the engine, because in the longer interval 'a larger quantity of oil will have accumulated in the chamber R2. This varia-tion is not considered important, and will not exist in the case of gas admitted past the valve V. lVhen this valve is properly set, in view of the rate at which the engine is desired to run and the work which it `is to do, the operation will'be substantia-lly unvarying while those conditions prevail; but if any change of work increases the speed or diminishes it below the point for which the engine isadjnstcd the governor will either temporarily cut oft the supply uw til the speed diminishes or will siopth'c cngine if its speed becomes too low.

The length of time that the gas-inlet valve and the cut-off valve archeld open depends upon the extent of the cam Jl", and as it may be desirable to 'va-ry this somewhat, according to the experiencewith `each engine, which may vary under known conditions orwith slightlydierent qualities of fiuidrequiring more or less time for vaporization, and according to other-conditions, we have only made this cam adjustable inl the manner each being a short segment of a ringadapted to bebolted onto the back of the gearwvheel,

`as shown, one eut away at the inside and the p.

other at .the outside, so that they maybe lapped one Aupon theother and slide one upon section. u y A The manner of secur'i'n g the sections 'of the cam to the web ofthe wheel may be under stood from lFigjpind the detail Fig. 7, aweb jl in a plane at right angles to the axis of the wheel being thrown across the angle between Vthe gear-rim, and this web j being provided and thus serves toguidethe cams in their ad- Vjustment and hold them definitely in their `properpositions with respect to thewhcel, a boltj13 being inserted through each section of the cam anda n ut on the inner end of it in the cavity behind the web j l" binding against the inner face of that web, serving to secure the sections irmly in place as adjusted, the outer head of the bolts being slotted, so that theyiuay be tightened from the exterior, since access can be had in the cavity to engage rl`he amplitude of thc slot J is the nuts. made suicient for the utmost adjustment ot' the cam-sections. A

It will be observed that the degrceiowhich the governor-balls must be spread before the v cause the governor to interrupt the action oi' the gas-inlet valve depends upon the tension of the spring Q, and that this spring can he adjust-ed by the screw Q' while the engine is running, and the details of the construction aildlocation of the governor and its connections are contrived to this end.

' 'hen the gas is admitted past the regula` tor-valve V and cut-oit valve R, the revolv- A .Vhcn gas is supplied to the chamber. post the principal spherical web and` the web of l shown 'in Fig. 6 by making iti in two parts,

roe

with a slot j, in to which a rib .l lhfornied upon.` `the back of ach of the cani-sections, enters IIC v'the valves V and R3, the passages should 'be llarger than when supply.

these' passages admit 'an' oil @We claimf I I l. In combination stem extending through-'said passage belovvy .the carburetor; the ciel inlet valveof the carburetor having its stem extending vdown through the latter, and the lever T fulcrumed Within the horizontal gas passage and en,-

gaged by the gas inlet valve stem andengag-J ing the oil inlet Valve stem; substantially as set forth '2. In a gas engine, in combination Withthei cylinder, a carburetor or oil vaporizer having',

its chamber communicating with the cylinder and comprising a vaned wheel verticaliyfjon" naled in saidv chamber, and having-oblique vanes and adapted to be :revolvedv by the pasi sage of airtherethrough, said chamber having an oil inlet located above the center of thev vaned wheel and a distributing disk onto Y v Which` the oil-falls through the oil inlet, and

from which-it falls onto the vanes of the Wheels; substantially as set forth.

1 3. In a gas engine, 1n `combination with a main driving shaft and a driven shaft at right' angles thereto, and drivingand driven bev# eled gears on said shafts respectively; the

i gas inlet valve and a reciprocating plunger which actuates it and thecam ontheb'ack of the -drive wheel to actuate vthe plunger; substantially as set forth.` f f 11.v 'In 'a gas engine, in combination with the'. main-driving shaft and al driven shaft at right anglesthereto. and the driving'and driven with the vertical earblrretor, the horizontal gas passage therefrom tothe cylinder, the gas inlet valve having itsr portioned to the rotary speed of the driving shaft; the lighter :valve andthe exhaust valve, and the cams'on thedriven shaft which operate each -of them ence in each revolution of said shaft, and a camonthe' back of the driven beveled gear, andthe gas inlet valve operated by such cam; substantially as set forth'.

` elwith' the path ofthe piston, and driving speetively, reciprocating parallel 'to thev driven shaft and between the same and the path of the piston; 'a cam' lon thedriven beveled gear, and the positionltobe actuated by said cam t0 'operate the valve; the governonmechanis'mover-- hanging and driven` by said driven shaft, and the-bell-e'rank-lever having its horizontal arm connected to and adapted to be oscillated by zoitally out ofthe path of the plungergSlibstantially asset forth. n v

In testimonywhereof We have hereunto set ence 'of twowit-nesses, this i3d day -offMay` "Witnesses: CEAS. S. BURTON,

' JEAN- ELLIOTT.

and drivenbeveled gears onsaid vshafts ref the'gas'inlet valve having its stem beveled gears on said shafts respeetivelyprov givethe driven shaft han orio' 5, 'In a gas enginein combination with the e 'main driving'shaft anda driven shaft paral` faction ofA the governor swings Said ,Stem ho" .6i j i I our hands, jat Chicago, -[11inois,in the pres- 

